Machine for slotting piston-rings and similar objects



M. D. AVILLAR.

MACHINE FOR SLOTTING PIS-TON RINGS AND SIMILAR OBJECTS.

Patented se t. 21,1920.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-12,1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

I' IKE III M. 0; AVILLAH.

MACHINE FOR SLOTTING PISTON RINGS AND SIMILAR OBJECTS.

- APPLICATION FILED NOV.22, 1919.-

1, 353,55s. PatentedSept. 21,1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2! ""llllllllllHllll' 72 2 nv enfor M. D. AVILLAR.

MACHINE FOR SLOTTING PISTON RINGS AND SIMILAR OBJECTS.

I APPLICATION FILED NOV-22,1919. 1,353,558. Patented fipt. 21,1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

M. D. AVILLAR.

MACHINEEOR SLOTTING PISTON RINGS AND SIMILAR OBJECTS.

'APPLICATION FILED NOV.22, I919.

1,353,558. 7 PatentedSept. 21, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

MANUEL D. AVILLAR, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MACHINE FOR SLOTTING PISTON-RINGS AND SIMILAR OBJECTS.

Specification of Letterslatent. Patented 1 21 192g Application filedNovember 22,1919, Serial No. 339,811.

.Machines for Slotting Piston-Rings and Similar Objects, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for cutting diagonal slots in a numberof assembled articles, such as a collection of piston rings. In gas andother engines there are employed sets of spring rings seated incircumferential grooves on each piston which rings are discontinuous andpress elastically outward. against the cylinder walls and so make apractically gas tight joint between the piston and the cylinder in whichit 'reciprocates. One very efficient type of these piston rings hasoppositely tapering, overlapping ends which are formed by cutting theoriginal, solid ring blank on a plane sufiiciently inclined to the planeof the ring to cause the cut to run from one .tace or near one face ofthe ring to the other. Usually the degree of inclination is slight sothat the out extends nearly or quite half Way around the circumferenceof the blank. Heretofore it has been necessary to out these rings one'ata time, but my present invention makes it possible to cut a dozen or anydesired number, at one operation. The best form of apparatus at presentknown to fine embodying my invention is illustrated, together withcertain modifications, in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 isa plan View of the apparatus, parts being broken away and others shownin section.

,Fig. 2 is a cross section on line 2*2 of Fig. l. V I

Fig. 3, is a longitudinal vertical section on the line 33 of Fig. 2,parts being broken away.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail horizontal section on same plane as Fig. 1,but showing the jaw face cut-away or backed off at its upper half.-

Fig. 5 is a side elevation and partial section of a modification inwhich the cutters are arranged externally of the ring blanks.

Fig. 6 is a vertical cross section on line 66 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a perspective View of one of the ring blanks after it has beenslotted and cut, and

Fig. 8 is a similar view after it has'been fnrther treated to form acompleted piston ring.

Throughout the drawings like reference characters indicate like parts.

The device constituting the particular em! bodiment of my inventionshown in the.

drawings for purposes of explanation and illustration is a chuckdesigned to be used as an attachment to an engine lathe, or any suitableform of milling machine, in which lathe or machine the cutting tool maybe mounted and operated. To this end the apparatus shown in the drawingsis provided with a base 1 which may be conveniently clamped to the toolcarrier of a lathe onto the bed or table of a milling machine. At theleft hand end of the base (see Figs. 1, 3 and 5) is a housing 2, inwhich is journaled one end of a swinging chuck 21, while the other endis journaled in the housing 3. This chuck embodies the essentialprinciple of my invention and may be made in any one of many widelyvaried forms as to details of construction, so long as.each of the jaws4L and 5, has the operative portions of its face located in a planewhich is parallel to that of the other jaw, and slightly inclined- /tothe longitudinal axis of the chuck as a whole, and means are providedfor holding a series of ring blanks 9 between the jaws so that theircenters are in line. held in the chuck according to one form of myinvention each ring blank will be slightly offset from its neighbor, asbest shown in Fig. 4. The'means here shown for holding the ring blankswith their centers thus in line comprise one or more justifying bars orsurfaces such as 6, 7 and 8, extending from one jaw to the other andparallel to the axis of the chuck, against which bars or surfaces thering blanks are pressed before being clamped together by jaws and 5.Uther means may be devised for accomplishing this result along otherlines. If, the inclination of the jaw faces 4 and 5 to any planeperpendicular to the axis of the chuck is equal to the inclination ofthe desired cut in each piston ring to the plane of that ring, and aseries of ring blanks 9, are clamped between the chuck faces with theirouter circumterent-es justified by the surfaces or bars 6, 7, and 8, orby one or more of said bars or When so I equivalent means, it is evidentthat a series of rotary cutters or little circular saws 10, mounted onand rotating with a common mandrel or arbor 11, whose face is parallelto the axis of the chuck can simultaneously cut the proper slits acrossall the rings at one operation. if the cutting zone is confined to oneside of that chuck diameter which has substantially the maximum angle ofinclination to the planes of the clutch jaws.

Various devices for supporting and operating the chuck jaws, and thecutters, as well as for swinging or moving either chuck or cutters so asto obtain the requisite travel of the cutters relative to the rings heldby the chuck may be employed.

In the particular arrangement of elements illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and3 of the drawings the cutter mandrel 11, extends through the ring blanks9, so that the cutting is done from the inside outward, and the chuck isswungon its axis to produce the necessary circumferential travel or feedmotion of the work around the cutters, which latter rotate on astationary axis, being supported on the live spindle 30 and tail stock31, of an ordinary lathe, in the arrangement shown in the drawings. Theconstruction and clamping action of the chuck jaws 4t, and 5, as shownin these figures of the drawings, are as follows: The main body of thechuck has a substantially cylindrical end sleeve 12, which is journaledin the housing 2 and held in position. by the end nut 13, and keyed intothe annular end 32 of the main chuck body 21, by key 25. At the otherextremity the chuck body 21 has an annular end 14;, into whichtelescopesthe and sleeve 15, the two being preventedf1"om relativerotation by key and keyway ltl. The inner end of the telescop;

ing sleeve 15 forms the inclined chuck jaw 5. The other jaw i is formedon the inner face of the other sleeve 12. An outer sleeve 17, is screwedon to sleeve 15, and journaled in housing 3,loeing held therein by nut18. Turning sleeve 17, inone direction will force jaw 53, toward itscompanion jaw 4. Turning the sleeve in the other direction will forcethe jaws farther apart and open the chuck. hen the jaws are closed on acolumn of ring blanks 9, they can be locked in that position by settingup jam nut 19, equipped with hexagonal faces as shown in Fig. 1, withwhich a spanner may engage. .Similar hexagonal faces are provided foroperating the movable chuck sleeve 17L The swinging motion of the chuck21, in the journal hearings in housings 2 and 3, is caused andcontrolled by worm gear 22, formed integral with the chuck and meshingwith worm 23, journaled on base 1, and operated by crank 24:.

The justifying bar 6, is movable on the jaw 5, by rotation of chuck body21, being clamped in different positions of adjustment by screws 26,pass ing through slots 27, in the chuck body. 28, 28, indicate the slitscut in the ring blanks by cutters 10, and extending from one"""face ofeach blank to the other face, or nearly so.

2111 operation the cutter mandrel .11, is set in the rotating head orlive spindle of the lathe or milling machine and the base 1, of myapparatus is clamped to thetool holding table of the lathe or to thework carrying table of the milling machine, in such position that theaxis of the chuck is parallel to the axis of the cutter mandrel so thatthe latter may extend through the chuck and ring blanks held therein.The cutters ll), are as thin as may be consistent with their requiredstrength and are equi-spaced apart a distance equal to the length of astraight line passing through a ring blank from one face to the other atright angles to the plane of the proposed cutting operation, and thereis one cutter preferably for each ring blank in the chuck. The ringblanks 9, are assembled in the chuck around the cutter, or the ringblanks are chucked and the cutters inserted afterward. In the chuckingoperation the justifying bar 6-, is forced against the ring blanks sothat they are all brought to a bearing on the justifying faces 6, 7 and8, and they are clamped in that posit-ion by the set screws 26. Thescrew sleevejournal 17, is next turned so as to force the jaw 5,

I toward jaw 4, until it firmly grips the colof the chuck is the onehaving the greatest angle of inclination to the jaw faces. The zone ofcutting action of saws 10, on ring blanks 9, must be confined to thesemicircle above or below this particular horizontal diameter if theslit cut is to run only from one ring face or form a point near suchring face, toward the other. As shown, the cutters are arranged tooperate on the upper semicircle. This, as indicated in Fig. 1, producesa diagonal slit in the upper half of each ring cutting it through fromone face of the blank to the other, or nearly so.

The assembled ring blanks being held by the chuck jaws in positionsslightly inclined to a perpendicular to justifying surface 8, of thechuck, and forced against it by justifying bar 6, are each offsetslightly one from the other at their outer edge along their horizontaldiameters as best shown in Fig. 4:. The zones for cutting or slitting ineach ring are thus brought all in line and are in planes perpendicularto the axes of the chuck and of mandrel 11, so that they jaws, thelatter may be cut-away slightly or may all be out simultaneously by thegang of circular saws 10, mounted on said mandrel. Accordingly when thering blanks are chucked, as above described, the lathe is set in motionand the tool holder is fed across until the revolving saws 10 have cutthrough the ring blanks at the ends of their horizontal diameters. Thetool holder is then left in that position while crank 24, is turned toslowly swing the chuck on its axis and extend the cutting action aroundor nearly around the upper half of each ring blank. If the inclinationof jaw faces 4 and 5, is correct for the thickness of ring blanks beingoperated on, the saws will cut slits from one face or from apoint nearone face of each blank diagonally across to the other face, or nearly toit, and the completed slit rings for piston packing are thereby formed,or may be easily formed therefrom by short cross cuts at the ends of thediagonal slits made after the blanks are taken out of the chuck.

As the saws 1.0, out slightly beyond the outer circumferences of theblanks 9, to insure completeness of the cutting action, they may cutinto the justifying bar 6, or surface 8, or both, as shown at 29, 29 inFigs fa.

and 4, but as the cuts will always come in the same places, if blanks ofthe same thickness are used, this will still leave the main portion ofthe justifying faces uncut and not interfere with the justifying actionthereof.

In order to make sure that the saws are not pinched by the clampingaction of the otherwise backed off, along the semi-circle opposite thehalves of the ring blanks which are to be slit, as indicated at 20, inFig. 4.

The back of the chuck which carries the justifying surface 8, may becutaway above the bearing surface as shown. at 38, in Fig. 6. This isespecially desirable when the cutters operate externally of the ringblanks as in the modification shown in Figs. 5 andG. In thisconstruction the chuck '33 and rin blanks held by it do not swing. Saidchuc is clamped to the tool carrying table 34 of the lathe while thelarger cutters or circular saws 35, are mounted on the mandrel 36outside the chuck. If the parts are properly proportioned and locatedthe usual horizontal motion. of the table'produced by crank 37 will movethe ring blanks under the revolving cutters 35, and produce the desiredslits therein. 1

As this chuck does not swing, its construction may be more simple. Jaw39 is adjustable endwise in housing 42 and held in adjusted position andprevented from turning by bolt and slot 40. Jaw 41 is movable endwise inhousing 43, and is revented from turning by key 44, and is a ju'stedinor out by sleeve 45 threaded on its GXtBIlOI which sleeve rotates inhousing 43, and has an external circumferential groove 46, with whichpin 47, set in the housing, engages. Thus the sleeve 45 is free torotate in housing 43, but cannot move endwise therein. 48, is the jamnut for locking'jaw 41 in any position of adjustment produced bymanipulation of sleeve 45.

In operating this form of the invention, the table 34 and chuck 33carried by it are moved to the right (looking at Fig. 6) away from .thecutters and the ring blanks chucked between jaws 39 and 41. The cuttersare then set in rotation and the table 34', moved in the direction ofthe arrow under the cutters as indicated by Fig. 6.

The out blank produced by the machines of my invention is shown at 49 inFig. 7, having the slot 28, still open, as formed by the cutter. This isthen sprung and heat treatedso that it sets with the tapered,overlapping ends in contact as shown in Fig. 8, but this constitutes nopart of my invention, being shown merely to make more clear the purposeand method of use of my improved apparatus for producing these rin 's.

In the forms of apparatus-here Sil-OWII the cutters have no motion oftranslation or travel, while the chuck does move or travel to make thenecessary length of cut around the rings. Evidently a reversedarrangement would produce, the sameresult.

Also, in the modificationin which the cutters are large in diameter andoperate exteriorly of the rings, the latter need not be chucked so thatthe lineof their centers is at right angles to the planes of rotation ofthe cutters, so 1011 as the cutters are spaced apart the proper is'tancefor any particular angle of inclination of the line of centers of therings.

, Having described my invention 1 claim:

1. A. chuck for holding a seriesof articles such as rings designed to beslotted diagonally, which chuck comprises,incombination a frame, twojaws oppositely mounted on said frame so as to be capable. of motiontoward and from one another along a line parallel to the longitudinalaxis of. the chuck, and means for producing such motion, each ofsaidjawshaving the portions of its face adapted to engage the rings arranged ina plane slightly inclined to the longitudinal axis of the chuck andparallel to the corresponding plane of the face of the to the axis ofthe chuck and adapted to bear against the outer surfaces of any seriesof articles clamped between the chuck jaws.

3. A structure such as set forth in claim 1, in which the jaws areannular and adapted to permit the passage of a rotating cutter throughthe chuck to operate on the inner surface of any rings clamped betweenthe chuck jaws.

l. A structure such as set forth in claim 1 in \\'lll(ll the frame isprovided with a base adapted to be clamped to the tool carrying table ofan engine lathe, and to the work carrying table of a milling machine.

A structure such set forth in claim 1, in which the jaws are revolublyin the frame. and combined with means for swinging said jawssimultaneously and in unison, whereby if any cutting means be broughtinto action on the article or articles held in the chuck a rotation ofthe jaws will extend said cutting action circun'iferentially of the saidarticles. I

(3. A chuck for holding a plurality of piston ring blanks. so that theymay be uniformly slotted by a plurality of rotary saws mounted on acommon arbor, which comprises in combination. a frame having abase-plate adapted to be clamped to thetool carrying table of an enginelathe. a pair of annular jaws mounted and rcvoluble on said frame abouttheir common axis, the oppositely disposed faces of said jaws being inparallel planes and inclined nearly 90 degrees to the common axis of thejaws, means for movingone of said jaws along the line of said axis andmeans for rotating both in unison.

T. A combination such as set forth in claim (5 in which the jawoperating means comprise a tubular section telescoping into one end ofthe chuck body and keyed against rotation therein. the inner end ofwhich tubular section forms the jaw. an exterior sleeve screw threadedon said telescoping section; a journal bearing for said exterior sleevefixed on. the chuck frame. and a second journal bearing for the. otherjaw. located at the other end of the chuck body both said journals beingadapted to prevent endwise movements of the parts immediately supportedthereby, whereby on rotating the threaded sleeve on the telescopingsection the. latter is forced'toward or from the other jaw.

8. A combination such as set forth in claim 6 in which the jaw rotatingmeans comprises a connection between the annular masses jaws providedwith key and keyway engage ment permitting endwise motion between saidjaws but preventing any rotation of one relative to the other, a wormwheel on one jaw and a worm meshing therewith and journaled on theframe.

9. In a chuck for holding a plurality of piston ring blanks so that theymay be simultaneously slotted diagonally by a series of parallelcutters, the combination of a frame provided with two rigid justifyingsurfaces at right angles one to the other. a justifying bar opposite oneface. and wow able toward and from it, means for clamp-- ing said baragainst a series of ring blanks resting against the two justifyingsin-fa es, and means for giving all of said blank :1 slight but uniforminclination to a plane perpendicular to one of the justifying surfaces.

10. lln a chuck for holding a series of rings for slotting the same thecombination of a chuck body and two tubular jaws mounted thereon andmovable axially toward and from each other, a slotting tool and meansfor producing relative motion between the tool and the tubular jawscircumferentially of the jaws, one of said jaws having its face cut awayalong the are through which the slotting cutter is ranged to operate.

11. In a machine for slotting a plurality of piston ring blanks at oneoperation the combination of a plurality of cutters nmurr;- ed on arevoluble shaft and equispaeed apart, a chuck having jaws adapted toslide toward and from each other and grasp be tween them a plurality ofring hlan j means for justifying said blanks in said chuck so that theircenters shall 'all be in one and the same straight line,v and me forrotating the cutters and producim; a relative motion of translationbetween cuts ters and chuck right angles to the plans of rotation of thecutter, the faces o chuck jaws being parallel one to another inclined tothe line of said motion of trans-- lation at an angle of inclinationwhich h slots in the rings are to have to the of said rings.

